[Sidenote: Mrs. Erldon Explains]

"I will not scold you, my darling," she said; "but in future never
forget that God Himself commands that we shall honour our parents, and
even if they grieve their children, Hepsie, that does not do away with
children's duty, and a parent is a parent as long as life lasts--to be
honoured and--loved! You are twelve years old, dear, and big enough now
to understand how sad I am that my dear old father will not forgive me
for marrying your father, and I think I had better explain things a
little to you, Hepsie. There was some one--a rich cousin--whom my father
had always hoped and wished that I should marry as soon as I was old
enough; but when I was twenty-one, and was travelling with grandfather,
you know, that is my own father--we made the acquaintance of a gentleman
in South Africa--Alfred Erldon--who was of English parentage, but had
lived out there all his life. Well, Hepsie, I need only say that this
gentleman and I decided to marry against grandfather's desire. We were
married in Johannesburg, to his great displeasure, so he refused to have
anything to do with us, and returned to England, declaring he would
never speak to me again.

"I never thought that he really meant such a thing, he had always loved
me so dearly, and I loved him so much. I wrote again and again, but
there was no answer to any of my letters. Then, my darling, you were
born, and soon after, the great South African War broke out, and your
dear father made me leave Johannesburg and bring you to England. Of
course, I came to the old home--Sunnycoombe--but only to find I was
still unforgiven, for the letter I sent to say I was in the village was
not answered either, humbly as I begged my father to see me. All the
same, Hepsie, I have remained here at your father's wish, for he lost
money, and had to 'trek north,' as they say, to a wild part of Rhodesia,
where white women could not go."

Mrs. Erldon's tears were nearly falling as she added: "Things have gone
badly with him, and only once has he been able to come to England to
spend a few months with us, as you remember, five years ago, but soon,
now you are older, I shall go and face the life, however rough it may
be. Now, no more talk, for here we are, darling, and, please God, this
may be the last Christmas that we spend without daddy, in England or
Africa, as it may be."

"And I won't grieve you again to-day, darling little mother," whispered
Hepsie, quite s